Mail-crane.



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE..

CHARLES C. HAGMANN ANI) JACOB C. FITZPATRICK, OF GREENVILLE, TEXAS.

MAIL-CRANE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1908.

Application filed. December 16, 1967. Serial No. 406,667.

- placed in the sack and attached to the crane train upon which the mailis to be delivered can be held away from the track until the approaches,and having means whereby the mail clerk on the train can actuate saidmechanism whereby the mail crane will place the sack in position to becaught by thehook or fork on the car.

The invention relates to certain novelfeatures of construction andcombinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view showing the mail sack ina position away from the track; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the crane;Fig. 3 is a view of the connecting rods, and Figs. 4 and 5 are details.

A represents the main vpost of the crane, which is provided with plates2, 2 which are secured thereto by any suitable means, and pivoted in theplates is a top arm 8, and on the other side ofthe plates on the sidefacingv the track is another arm 4, which is pivoted in the plates, andat the ends of the arms 3 and 4 are means for holding the mail sack. Atthe outer end of the arm 3 a chain 5 is secured which has rings orenlarged links 6 at its lower end. plate 7 is secured having an opening8 therein in which is received a pin 9, which in is pivotally connectedto the rod 10, whic extends parallel with the track for the desireddistance, and at the end of the rod an opening 11 is formed, which isreceived on the pin 12 on an eccentric 13, which is connected to theshaft or rod 14 having one end bent at right angles thereto, as at 15.The rod 10 extends along the track over pulleys 16, 16, and extends fora distance which is regulated by the speed of the train which operatesthe crane to place the sack in position to be caught as the trainapproaches, and the rod orrshaft 14 is supported upon posts havingretaining blocks 17, 17.

At the base of the post a- A trip ing mechanism 18 extends up through te floor of the car and is provided at its lower end with a bar 19running transversely of the tripping mechanism, and a knob 20 is securedto the upper end to be o erated by the foot of the mail clerk to force te bar 19 down so that it will come into contact with the end 15`of theshaft 14. 4

When the train is approaching the mail crane upon which the mail sack issecured, and it is desired to catch the sack by the fork on the side ofthe car passing, the mail clerk pushes the knob 20 downward, whereby thetransverse bar 19 will strike the end 15 of the shaft 14, causing theeccentric 13 to rotate, drawing the rod 10 backward away from the postand releasing the ring 6 which is held by the pin 9, holding the mailsack in an upright position, but as the pin is withdrawn from the ringthe top arm is released, allowing the sack to drop in position wherebyit is caught by the fork on the car of the train. After the tri pingmechanism has struck the end 15 of t e shaft 14, causing the crane to belowered in position, the clerk releases the knob causing the trippingmechanism to return to its normal position where it is out of the wayand in no danger of striking objects along the track.

It is evident that slight' changes might be resorted to in the form andarrangement of the several parts described without departing from thespirit and scope of our invention, and hence' we do not wish to limitourselves to the exact construction herein set forth, but:-

I-Iaving fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a mail crane, the combination witharms, ofv a rod, means connecting one of the arms and rod, a shafthaving an eccentric thereon to which the rod engages, and a tripingmechanism adapted to strike the shaft for releasing the crane.

2. In a mail crane, the combination with arms, of a rod, Aa shaft havingan eccentric thereon connected to the rod, means for connecting the rodand crane holding thesame out of position, and means ada ted to strikethe shaft whereby the crane is owered to its normal position.

3. In a mail crane, the combination with arms, of a rod, meansconnecting the crane and rod whereby the crane is held out of position,a shaft having an eccentric thereon engaging the rod, and a trippingmechanism l for holding the crane out of position, a shalt adapted tostrike the shaft for releasing the having an eccentric thereon adaptedto en l5 crane.

4. In a mail crane, the combination with arms, of a rod, flexible meansconnected to the crane adapted 'D0 engage the rod for holding the craneout of position, a shaft connected to the rod, and tripping means foractuating vthe shaft whereby the rod is operated thereby releasing thecrane.

5.A In a mail crane, the combination With y arms, flexible meansconnected to the crane, of a rod adapted to engage the said means gagethe rod, and tripping means adapted to operate the shaft whereby thecrane is rcleased.

tures in presence ol two Witnesses.

CHARLES C. IIAGMANN. JACOB C. FITZPAIRICK.

Witnesses:

II. T. ARVIN, E. Y. CAssLER..

